Chemistry · Chemical Bonding
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Choose the molecule that could not be represented by single electronic structure formula:
- A
CH4
- B
H2O
- C
SO2
- D
O2
C is the correct option as the electronic structure of the SO2 molecule is best represented as a resonance hybrid of two equivalent structures.
CH4 can be represented by a single electronic structure formula, which is a tetrahedral structure with four covalent bonds between carbon and hydrogen atoms.
Water (H2O) can be represented by a single Lewis structure with one oxygen atom double-bonded to two hydrogen atoms. The two lone pairs of electrons on the oxygen atom occupy two other orbitals.
C is the correct option as the electronic structure of the SO2 molecule is best represented as a resonance hybrid of two equivalent structures.
O2 requires multiple resonance structures to represent its true electronic structure.
Tagged under Chemistry · Chemical Bonding · 2017